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© Matthew Gable

Dapa–Chicoral road

3.56895 , -76.57788

Colombia

The road that passes from Dapa (part of Yumbo) to Chicoral (a vereda of Bitaco, La Cumbre) is a wonderful place to see typical and special cloudforest species.  The high point in the pass that goes from the Arroyohondo watershed (Cauca River) to the Bitaco watershed (Dagua River). The elevation ranges from 1900 to 2100 meters and the ecosystem is dense subtropical humid forest. On the side of Dapa the area is part of the Dapa Carisucio-La Elvira forest reserve and on the Chicoral side the area is part of the Bitaco River forest reserve.  This is a great area to start a birding trip to further explore the Chicoral area which has great forest patches and a wonderful private reserve called La Minga.  There are around 200 species recorded in this short stretch of road.  

Delete exact location

The introductory text should contain general information about the site, which may include for instance:
• geographic/ biogeographic location
• habitat and vegetation
• typical bird species/bird communities
• protection status
• land use and history
• importance for birdwatching

Coordinates were set by Admin : : 3.5690/-76.5779 (2018-10-27 00:00:00 )

Site name was set by Admin : as "Dapa–Chicoral" (2018-10-27 00:00:00 )

Edited by Matthew Gable on 2022-06-17 11:52:51
The road that passes from Dapa (part of Yumbo) to Chicoral (a vereda of Bitaco, La Cumbre) is a wonderful place to see typical and special cloudforest species.  The high point in the pass that goes from the Arroyohondo watershed (Cauca River) to the Bitaco watershed (Dagua River). The elevation ranges from 1900 to 2100 meters and the ecosystem is dense subtropical humid forest. On the side of Dapa the area is part of the Dapa Carisucio-La Elvira forest reserve and on the Chicoral side the area is part of the Bitaco River forest reserve.  This is a great area to start a birding trip to further explore the Chicoral area which has great forest patches and a wonderful private reserve called La Minga.  There are around 200 species recorded in this short stretch of road.  

  • Top species

List up to ca. 25 species that:
• have a limited distribution range and/or are rare on a global level
• are most sought-after by birdwatchers at this site
• and are relatively easy to see at this site (year-round or seasonally)

Chestnut Wood-Quail (Odontophorus hyperythrus)
Golden-headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps)
Yellow-vented Woodpecker (Dryobates dignus)
Rusty-winged Barbtail (Premnornis guttuliger)
Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens)
Yellow-headed Manakin (Chloropipo flavicapilla)
Golden-winged Manakin (Masius chrysopterus)
Ashy-headed Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias cinereiceps)
Chestnut-breasted Wren (Cyphorhinus thoracicus)
Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia pyrrhophrys)
Multicolored Tanager (Chlorochrysa nitidissima)

Multicolored Tanager (Chlorochrysa nitidissima) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:24:44)

Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia pyrrhophrys) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:23:55)

Chestnut-breasted Wren (Cyphorhinus thoracicus) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:22:36)

Ashy-headed Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias cinereiceps) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:21:38)

Golden-winged Manakin (Masius chrysopterus) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:21:08)

Yellow-headed Manakin (Chloropipo flavicapilla) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:20:10)

Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:19:42)

Rusty-winged Barbtail (Premnornis guttuliger) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:19:18)

Yellow-vented Woodpecker (Dryobates dignus) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:18:46)

Golden-headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:09:14)

Chestnut Wood-Quail (Odontophorus hyperythrus) was added by Matthew Gable (2022-06-16 19:08:21)

  • Timing and strategy

Like most birding sites, this area is best in the early morning or late afternoon for the most action.  It is best to park near the pass and walk the road down towards Dapa and then back up and cross over to the Chicoral side down towards the Himalaya tea plantation.

Give recommendations for making your visit as productive as possible.
This may include for instance:
• best season
• best time of the day
• how much time to spend at the site
• best means of locomotion within the site
• recommended routes / areas within the site
• guiding

Edited by Matthew Gable on 2022-06-17 11:54
Like most birding sites, this area is best in the early morning or late afternoon for the most action.  It is best to park near the pass and walk the road down towards Dapa and then back up and cross over to the Chicoral side down towards the Himalaya tea plantation.
  • How to get there

Coming from the north of Cali take the Cali-Yumbo road 2 kilometers to the Dapa Road on the left.  It's about a 20 minute drive up to the village of Dapa.  Stay on the main road passing through the community until you reach a fork where there is a Spanish restaurant called La Barra de Manolo.  Take the right fork that lead up into the forest.  After a short stretch the road is unpaved and winds up through the country homes and eventually into the forest reserve.  There are large signs at the pass that talk about the reserves in the area.  This is a good place to park.

Explain from where and how to get to this site with private and public transport.

Edited by Matthew Gable on 2022-06-17 11:58
Coming from the north of Cali take the Cali-Yumbo road 2 kilometers to the Dapa Road on the left.  It's about a 20 minute drive up to the village of Dapa.  Stay on the main road passing through the community until you reach a fork where there is a Spanish restaurant called La Barra de Manolo.  Take the right fork that lead up into the forest.  After a short stretch the road is unpaved and winds up through the country homes and eventually into the forest reserve.  There are large signs at the pass that talk about the reserves in the area.  This is a good place to park.

This is a public road with no restrictions.

Provide information on how to enter this site, which may include:
• entry points
• entry permits / entry tickets and fees
• opening hours / opening season
• other restrictions

Note that this section should only contain information on how to ACCESS (= enter) a site. Info on how to REACH a site should be added to "How to get there" section.

Edited by Matthew Gable on 2022-06-17 11:58
This is a public road with no restrictions.
  • Other attractions

This is also a great place just to have a nature walk.  Occasional mammals can be observed like night monkeys, squirrels, and if you are really lucky a tayra or comedreja.  Trap cameras in the area have recorded tigrillo and puma.  

Add information about other attractions at this site, including
• wildlife (apart from birds)
• sights (natural, cultural, archaeological, etc.)
• activities (e.g. for non-birding companions)

Edited by Matthew Gable on 2022-06-17 12:00
This is also a great place just to have a nature walk.  Occasional mammals can be observed like night monkeys, squirrels, and if you are really lucky a tayra or comedreja.  Trap cameras in the area have recorded tigrillo and puma.  

The nearest civilization is back down in Dapa, which has restaurants and stores.  There is one store down in Chicoral but it is not always open.  On Saturdays, there is activity near the chapel in Chicoral with food and drinks available to buy.

Provide information about what type of facilities are available at
or near this site, including:
• information centers / information points
• catering
• accommodation
• hides and watchtowers
• restrooms / toilets

Edited by Matthew Gable on 2022-06-17 12:02
The nearest civilization is back down in Dapa, which has restaurants and stores.  There is one store down in Chicoral but it is not always open.  On Saturdays, there is activity near the chapel in Chicoral with food and drinks available to buy.

This is a very safe area, but of course you should never leave valuables in your parked vehicle.  There can be a lot of traffic passing through so it is necessary to watch out for vehicles on the road.

Are there any security issues or other annoyances at this site? For
instance, these may include:
• offenses like robbery or theft
• natural hazards
• dangerous or annoying animals or plants (mosquitoes, leaches, thorn bushes, etc.)
• noise pollution

Edited by Matthew Gable on 2022-06-17 12:03
This is a very safe area, but of course you should never leave valuables in your parked vehicle.  There can be a lot of traffic passing through so it is necessary to watch out for vehicles on the road.
All information about this site was contributed by Orniverse users. Neither Orniverse nor the contributors accept responsibility for the completeness and accuracy of the information provided.

Contributors

Matthew Gable

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Reports

Season:
to
Species:
2018-08-23 to 2018-09-13 Colombia – western and central Andes and Caribbean coast Mathias Ritschard et al.
Dapa–Chicoral road - Orniverse